Game on! NBA player Matt Bonner brings Deer Tick to The Page

Getting a band like Deer Tick to play a place like the Page is mind boggling, and is no small feat. As Matt Bonner put it, it’s “a slam dunk,”(before laughing and apologizing for the “terrible pun”).

Christopher Hislop

For Concord's Matt Bonner, it's never been difficult to stand out in a crowd. The 6-foot 10-inch redhead, who will always be held in high regard as the pride of the Crimson Tide, helped Concord High win three consecutive NHIAA basketball championships (1996-99). He went to college at the University of Florida to play basketball for the Gators.

In November of 2001, the nationally ranked Gators flew up to make a special appearance at the Whittemore Center Arena, which was transformed for the night into a basketball court where they played the University of New Hampshire (who generally play in the Field House). It was an extremely hard ticket to get your hands on (beyond sold out) at the time. Bonner's team pounded UNH 108-56. No big deal.

Oh, and let's not forget that he's currently a member of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, whom he helped win a world championship during the 2006-07 campaign. The year before our Boston Celtics won theirs.

Though Bonner keeps a hectic schedule largely based around basketball, he has always set aside ample time to give back to his local community. For the past four years, Bonner and his younger brother Luke have organized and orchestrated the Sneakers and Speakers music series — an annual event that raises funds for the Boys and Girls Club of New Hampshire.

"I first started playing ball at the Concord Boys and Girls Club," said Bonner over the phone recently. "I used to go there every day. The organization, in many ways, was instrumental in getting me to where I am today. I owe them a lot, and I do what I can to give back. The Boys and Girls Club keeps kids off the streets and gives them something to do — keep them out of trouble. I'm a big advocate of that."

The fourth anniversary of the Sneakers and Speakers event takes place on Saturday, July 2, at the The Page in Portsmouth. The brothers Bonner have successfully booked such bands as Okkervil River, the Felice Brothers, Edan, The Hold Steady, The Whigs, and Wild Light to highlight past benefit shows. This year's event will be headlined by up-and-coming rockers, Deer Tick, who have made quite a splash in the music community the last few years. Supporting Deer Tick are the Boston-based group (and winners of this year's Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll — "Best Live Act"), Bodega Girls, who are said to be releasing a limited edition "N.H. inspired" cassette single the night of the show.

Getting a band like Deer Tick to play a place like the Page is mind boggling, and is no small feat. As Bonner put it, it's "a slam dunk," (before laughing and apologizing for the "terrible pun").

Hailing from Providence, R.I., Deer Tick has released three EPs, as well as three full-length albums to date, including their most recent effort, "The Black Dirt Sessions." Deer Tick — founded by songwriter John McCauley — has been around in some capacity since 2004. Their sound is truly original, blending elements of folk, country, rock, and grunge, ultimately giving them a sound that is all their own.

"Friends ask us how we'd describe our music all the time," said guitarist Ian O'Neil. "We all come from the same 'Do it yourself,' sheen. It's a grind, but it's something we believe in, and we have that 'punk rock' kind of attitude that sort of pushes us forward. You can define different parts of the United States by the basic types of roots music that originated in a specific area, but when you look to the Northeast, nothing really sticks out...;; nothing resonates. So we've sort of picked up the pieces of all our favorite influences and are trying to create what we feel is in the underlying spirit of what could be considered the roots of our place on the map. It works for us. We're not trying to rediscover music, we're trying to create a sound that takes parts of existing music to make something different. Sometimes people get it, sometimes people think they get it, and sometimes people hate it. That all works for us. We don't take ourselves too seriously (laughs)."

O'Neil recounts that a major influence that runs consistently through the band, and holds heavy weight on each individual member is the aesthetic that resided in the grunge movement of the early '90s.

"Oh, that (Nirvana) 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video changed my life. I remember seeing it on MTV at a time I wasn't supposed to be watching MTV, and something clicked. I immediately asked my parents for a guitar. My brother played sports, I asked for a guitar...;; and that was it."

What Deer Tick does take seriously is playing events that have a purpose behind them. O'Neil jokes that the band could do an entire tour of charity events, but then they would cease to exist. For legitimate causes, they're all in.

"John's a big advocate of the Boys and Girls Club," said O'Neill. "He's really into it."

There is often red tape though in getting through to a touring band with many degrees of management surrounding them, but that's where Matt Bonner claims he has figured out a way to "break through."

"You don't meet too many guys that are 6'10" redheads on the road," said Bonner. "I mean, you meet thousands of people, but after a while they all sort of bleed into each other. So that kind of works to my advantage. I've seen Deer Tick several times, and have introduced myself twice — once in Austin, and once in Toronto. I mentioned the premise of the event to them in conversation and they were into it. They remembered who I was when we finally reached out and asked them to play it."

"Oh yeah, he's a hard person to forget," said O'Neil. "We've run into him a few times...;; tall dude. Red hair. Real tall."

Both Matt and his brother Luke are very excited to present the latest installment of their Sneakers and Speakers charitable series and are hoping word-of-mouth spreads like wildfire as their means of promoting it.

"People often say to us, 'you're crazy!'" Bonner said. "The parameters of these events are to keep it independent, unique, intimate and affordable. You're not going to see a nationally touring band like this playing for $5 in any other capacity. I want there to be a line out the door, and people complaining that they can't get in. I want the event to pass and for people to find out about it and exclaim, 'Oh my God! Deer Tick was at the Page!? (laughing). This is the momentum we're looking to build to get people out to future installments of the series. I want people to seek us out, and help the cause in their own way as well."

There are no advance ticket sales for the event. Bonner urges everyone to come out early and appreciate a band that has blown him away many times. He's looking forward to spending some quality time in the Granite State and throwing a successful show while he's here.

"New Hampshire is home," Bonner exclaimed. "Not Gainesville, Fla., not San Antonio, Texas. There's a great camaraderie amongst the residents in this state. I love the natural beauty, and the laid-back feel. I'm proud to say this is where I'm from, and I'll always do my part to give back to a place that has given so much to me."

For O'Neil, he's eying a show that will be one for the books.

"It won't be an ordinary show, that's for sure. We love Portsmouth. John and I were just drinking at a bar the other night that we'd love to play at. It was kind of dark, had a cool vibe...;; (To which your friendly author chimed in — 'The Press Room?') Yeah! The Press Room! That's the one! Maybe we'll mosey on down there after the show...;"

If you're not intrigued yet, Luke Bonner tosses this out there which may indeed sway you:

"I'm excited about the rumor that Matt might get his hair cut into a mullet for the show... USA!!!"

Christopher Hislop, when not reviewing music for Spotlight magazine, cooks at the Press Room one night a week, and does lots of other things, too. Email him at christopher.hislop@gmail.com.

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